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Janett was cruising the internet one day looking for volunteer
opportunities to work with wild animals. Fortunately for AFA, she
stumbled across our site and decided to give us a try. After all, the
two closest zoos are quite a haul for this Beecher resident! Finding a
dedicated volunteer is quite a challenge, but we definitely found one
in Janett. She's been with us since February 2001.
Says Janett about volunteering for AFA, "I
love seeing and learning about the animals while volunteering - their
behaviors, where they came from, etc... It's wonderful to be able to
touch exotic animals, build a trust with them and know they recognize
me when they see me. It's very therapeutic for me." Janett's favorite
critters at AFA are the cats! This is no surprise! "They can be pretty
social when they feel like it. I love petting them and watching them
play. I especially take pleasure in seeing how much Ramsey the serval
has improved. He's become so much more social and trusting since he
first came to AFA," says Janett. She also loves watching Molasses the
kinkajou in action! "He's just so cute!" she says.
So what's the downside of volunteering? "I
don't like the smell sometimes. And sometimes the things you have to
clean up can
be kinda unpleasant, but you get used to it after a while. Besides, the
satisfaction I get outweighs the icky stuff by far," says Janett with a
BIG smile on her face. And she's right! Cleaning up after so many
animals can be a bit overwhelming even when you keep on top of it.
Janett has lived in Beecher since 1987. She
currently shares her home with a black and white tabby cat named "Mo"
and two orange and white kittens (compliments of AFA) named "Chloe"
and "Zoe". Janett has been working for the Village of Beecher since
1991 and has been the Village Clerk/Office Manager for over 12 years.
And YES, our volunteers do have lives! Besides her love for animals,
Janett also enjoys nature, music, dancing, and the water - boating,
swimming, fishing, snorkeling...Janett, can I interest you in alligator
wranglin'?
Says AFA: "Janett is a doll! She's super
easy to get along with and is very reliable. She's a bit quiet,
although we all know she has a hidden wild side to her. We've seen
it! She's also got a lot of common sense and is great with the animals
- two things absolutley necessary over here! It's nice to have her
around. If she lived closer, we'd probably take advantage of her more.
;) As is, she's a tremendous asset to AFA. We love her and appreciate
all that she does."
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